With the globalization of business, industry and trade wherein transactions and activities within these fields have been changing from localized organizations to diverse transactions over the face of the world, the telecommunication industries have, accordingly, been expanding rapidly. Wireless telephones, such as cellular telephones, have become so pervasive that their world wide number is in the order of hundreds of millions. While the embodiment to be subsequently described uses cellular telephones as the example, the principles of the invention would be applicable to any wireless transmission device.
Despite the rapid expansion and the proliferation of wireless telephones and, particularly, cellular telephones and networks, the industry is in a state wherein available cellular telecommunication resources are expanding more rapidly than consumer demand. As a result, the industry is seeking new and expanded uses for its products. The present invention offers such an expanded application for wireless cellular telephone technology to provide real-time information about a wide variety of roadway conditions and situations to motor vehicles traveling along a roadway.
Traditionally, within a limited group of subscribers, e.g. truckers and others having an interest, citizens band (CB) radio broadcasts from the individual vehicles conveyed information about road conditions, such as hazards or information about other road situations, e.g. drivers with health emergencies. With CB radios, the information was not necessarily specific to any region except that drivers in certain locales might mutually agree to communicate over selected channels.